Minie Herbert

“ The little fellow proved a splendid salesman. However ragged his clothes might be, his face was always clean, for the boys never missed their morning wash in Trafalgar Square, and he found several customers, who were attracted by his bright face and cheery voice as he called out "Box o' lights, sir! box o' lights!" and his happiness reached its height when he was able to put into Bob's hand quite a heap of pennies, the result of his morning's efforts. ”

“ They went down into the country to live, where Bertram soon grew rosy and strong, while Mrs. Blair was given a pretty little lodge to live in at the gate, which she said reminded, her of her old home when she was a girl.
Bob was sent to a good school, where he himself so eager and quick to learn that Mr. Elton sent him on to college; and when he became a clergyman he chose a parish in the East End of London, where he devoted his life to working among boys who were as poor as he himself once was. ”

“ CHAPTER V THE CHRISTMAS TREAT After Miss Elton's visit Willie found plenty to amuse himself with that day, and he was very anxious for Bob to come home that he might tell him the news. Mrs. Blair went out and bought some meat and other things with the money the lady had given her, and the little fellow feasted like a king. Some of the good things he insisted on saving for Bob, and it was in a state of high glee that he watched his brother eating his supper that night. The picture book was a source of great amusement to them. ”

“ Got any breakfast?"
"No," said Bob; "we was going to see if we could earn some money, so's we could buy some."
"Where's yer mother?" she asked shortly.
"She's been dead a long while," answered Bob.
"Yes," chimed in Willie. "Mother's dead, and we've runned away from father. He beat us."
"Poor little chap!" said the woman, looking at the younger boy. And then she made him sit by the fire, while she poured out two cups of steaming hot coffee. ”

“ Ain't yer Bob?"
With light hearts the two boys went on, talking eagerly as to how the sixpence should be spent. To these two poor little street arabs it seemed almost unlimited wealth, for never in their short lives had they had so much money to spend. Bob was determined to give Willie a treat, so, without saying where they were going, he led the way to St. James's Park, where they found a man in charge of a stall, with a cow standing near by. With a very important air Bob marched up to the man, and asked for two glasses of milk. ”

“ On this day, if you had walked down the court, you would have seen groups of women standing round the doors gossiping, with their sleeves rolled up to their elbows, and nothing on their heads. This was the way they all spent their time when they were not in the beershops, one of which stood, as usual, at each corner of the court. These women never had time to clean their rooms, even if they had known they were dirty. ”

“ I'm a bit late to-day, and I s'pose yer feel lonely.
Ain't yer 'ad no one to play with?"
"No," he replied. "All the boys tease and make such a noise. It makes my 'ead ache. But it's all right now you've come 'ome," he added cheerfully.
Bob looked down at the fragile little figure at his side and a great lump seemed to rise in his throat, almost choking him, as he thought how thin Willie was; and he wished that he could make haste and grow up to be a man, so that he could earn a lot of money and buy nice things for him to eat. "But s'pose Willie should die before then!" ”

“ He wants you to be good too, for it makes Him very sad when you steal, or say bad words, or quarrel and fight. He is getting a beautiful place ready for you to live in; but you must let Him help you to be good, and some day He will send His angel to fetch you to go and live in that beautiful place."
After he had finished speaking, Miss Elton, the lady who had spoken to Bob at the door, came up to the platform, and in a sweet, clear voice, so that the children could understand every word, she sang to them the well-known hymn—-
"I think when I read that sweet story of old." ”

“ Bob could always find his tongue when any one asked him about Willie.
"I'm so glad," said Miss Elton. "I want him to come to the treat."
"Yes," said Bob, "'e ants to come."
"Do you always sweep this crossing?" she inquired.
"Yes'm," was the answer. "It's best jist to stay in one place. Folks git to know yer, yer see. I have my reg'lar ones as gives me a penny most days. They wouldn't do that if I shifted about."
"I see," said Miss Elton. "Well I shall always look out for this crossing now," and with a bright smile and a coin as a parting gift she went on her way. ”

“ It was a miserably foggy evening in November. The roads were frightfully dirty, and Bob worked with all his might to keep the crossing clean; but the people all seemed in too much of a hurry to take any notice of the little sweeper, and Willie fared no better with his matches. Fairly worn out and tired, the little fellow began to cry.
"Let's go 'ome, Bob," he sobbed. "I'm so cold."
"All right," returned the other. "Seems no use to stop 'ere.
Folks ain't got nothin' for us to-night."
Bob shouldered his broom, and they turned off down a side street. ”

“ All at once he started up eagerly as [the one for whom he had been watching turned the corner.] This was his brother, a boy about ten years of age, a tired, miserable-looking little fellow, carrying in his hand a broom. He had been spending the day trying to earn a few pence by sweeping a crossing. His anxious face changed the instant he caught sight of his little brother, for these two were all the world to each other.
"I'm so glad you've come 'ome Bob," said Willie. "I've been waitin' such a long time for yer."
"Poor little chap! ”

“ The doors of the houses always stood open, so that people could go in and out without knocking. Very few of them could afford to pay enough rent to have two rooms all to themselves, so that a whole family was generally huddled into one room, in which they had to live during the day and sleep at night. But most of the daytime was spent by the inhabitants of Primrose Place out of doors, lounging about on the pavement, or sitting on the doorsteps. ”

“ Some years before our story opens Miss Elton's only sister had married an artist living in a pretty village in Surrey, and there about a year afterwards their little boy Bertram was born. His parents idolized him, and he was the pet and plaything of every one who had anything to do with him. When he was just about one year old, his mother, Mrs. Vincent, had in her service a housemaid who had a violent temper. It happened that one day Mrs. Vincent had occasion to reprove her for some fault, and the girl was heard to declare that she would "pay her out for it." ”

“ One half he handed to Bob, and would take no refusal. So the two children soon devoured it between them.
"I say, Bob," said Willie, when they had finished, "'ave yer 'ad a good day to-day?"
"No," said Bob sadly. "Yer see there's no mud about and when there's no mud the people don't take any notice of yer——"
"Oh, dear!" said Willie. "Father'll whack yer. I wish yer 'adn't bought me the bun."
"I don't, care," responded the other wearily "He may whack me if 'e likes, it don't matter, you shan't be 'ungry if I can 'elp it. Is father indoors?" ”

“ Everything that the boy could possibly, want in the shape of underclothes was bought, and then the little velvet suit that Nora Graham had suggested, with the lace collar, was added.
Precisely at three o'clock Mrs. Blair appeared with the children. Little Gladys was delighted to see Willie, and would sit next to him at the table while they had some tea. Mr. Elton came in and looked at them, and he, too, was struck with the likeness between the children.
After tea Miss Elton took Willie to the nursery saying she had some clothes for him and she wanted to see them on. ”

“ He always declared that people took no notice of him when Willie was not there, and it was very little he could earn. Had it not been for Mrs. Blair, the children would often have had to spend the night out of doors.
One very wet evening in December Bob turned into the mission-room alone. Willie had been too ill to go out with him in the morning, and he wanted to go straight home; he thought Willie would be so lonely.
But Willie would not hear of it. "No, Bob," he said; "go an' see my pretty lady, so's yer can tell me wot she says when yer come 'ome." ”

“ So Bob determined if he could possibly earn money that Willie should have a roof over his head that night. By the time the day's work was ended he found he had just sixpence in his pocket. He thought he would spend two of the pennies for their supper and send Willie into the lodging-house alone. Then he would have two pennies left for their breakfast. ”

“ The two weeks quickly passed away, and the long-looked-for day of the treat arrived. Miss Elton found time in the morning to come round to Mrs. Blair's to see if Willie was able to come.
"Bless, you, ma'am," said that good lady, "you couldn't keep him back if you tried. He's that set on going. I'll be there to bring him home safely."
"Well," said Miss Elton, "he looks much better than when I first saw him.
You are better, are you not, Willie?" turning to the child.
"Yes, please'm," answered Willie, with sparkling eyes. "I'm comin' to the treat. Bob's comin' 'ome early to take me." ”

“ Will you let Him?"
"I wish 'e would," said Bob. "Don't you, Willie? On'y, I don't see as 'ow
I can tell 'im."
"Well," was the answer, "if you kneel down, and shut your eyes, and speak to Him ever so softly, He will hear you. Listen!" And kneeling down beside the children she prayed—"Dear Jesus, these two little boys want You to help them to be good. They want to be made fit to live in Your beautiful home. Please help them. Amen."
The children looked at her for a moment or two, awed by her manner.
Then Bob asked—
"Did 'e 'ear yer?" ”

“ Then I shall be able to earn some money."
That night, and many succeeding ones, were spent by the children in the open air. Sometimes under archways or on doorsteps, and sometimes in the friendly shelter of the old barrels. While the summer lasted, and the nights were dry and warm, Bob did not mind, he thought it would not hurt Willie, but when the cold weather began it made him very anxious.
"Why don't yer try my place where I sleep?" said another crossing-sweeper to him one day, when he told him his trouble. "The little 'un 'ud keep warm there." ”

“ Be quick and get your suppers, for it's awful late, an' that little 'un ought to be in bed."
"Bob," whispered Willie, "yer'll speak to Jesus afore we go to bed, won't yer? The lady said 'e would 'ear."
So the two little waifs knelt in their corner with their eyes tightly shut, and Bob prayed in a low voice—-
"Please, Sir, me an' Willie wants to find Yer. Make us good boys, an' show us the way."
"Say 'men, Bob," said Willie, "like the lady did." ”